Microsoft (MSFT 0.37%) turned heads last week with its move to open 500 stores inside Best Buy (BBY -0.81%) locations this summer. Microsoft stock didn't get the kind of bubbly reception that Best Buy shares received on the news, but it's still a smart move for both companies.

However, a quick look at Microsoft's ad promoting the venture shows that Microsoft doesn't feel as if its brand is enough. 

In this video, longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz explains why Netflix (NFLX -3.92%), Barnes & Noble (BKS), and even Amazon.com (AMZN -1.64%) are featured brands in the Microsoft mini-store ad. This is a humbler Mr. Softy than we've seen before, and that may ultimately pay off for Microsoft stock.

Editor's note: The video refers to Audible as an "e-book reader." It's actually a provider of audiobooks and other spoken audio programming.